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(No Model.)

P. D. HORTON.

TOY GATAPULT.

N0. 368,588. Patented Aug. 23, 1887.

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PETER D. HORTON, OF OAKLAND, GALIFORN IA, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICKGETOHELL, OF SAME PLACE.

TOY CATAPULT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,588, dated August23, 1887.

Application filed December "24, 1886. Serial No. 222,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER D. HORTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Spring-Guns, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to that class of toy guns in which aspring is employed for giving impulse to the shaft or arrow inprojecting it from the gun, and has for its object the production of atoy spring -gun much cheaper in construction, easier to use, and morepleasing and effective in operation than those heretofore employed.

To attain this end my invention consists in a cylinder or barrel boredcentrally, in which the shaft or arrow is placed. The opposite sides ofthe barrel or, cylinder are also bored with holes parallel with thecenter bore, and a saw-kerf or open slot is made lengthwise with theholes in the cylinder, which receive an india-rubber or elastic band,one end of which is free over the central bore, so that the lower end ofthe arrow may come in contact with it, and the other end confined to theopposite end of the barrel away from the borehole, so that the arrow,when sprung, will not beimpededin its progress. The end of the arrow ofmy toy spring-gun is tipped with a tubular cork.

In the drawings, Figure 1, representing my toy spring-gun, is given inperspective. Fig. 2 represents a cross-section of the barrel.

Let A represent the cylinder or barrel of my toy spring-gun, which isbored with three longitudinal holes, a b 0, parallel to each other, asshown. The two outer bore-holes, b c, are slotted or cut through fromend to end with a saw-kerf, so that communication is had with theseholes from the outside of the cylinder. The slots or kerfs are of justsufficient width to'permit the edge of the endless elastic band d topass in and be contained in the holes I) c. The ends of the band willcover the ends of the center bore-hole, a, in which position the band atthe lower end of the barrel remains, while the band at the upper orouter end is drawn to one side of the central bore, a, and kept in thisposition away from the bore by a tack or pin, 6, so

that the shaft or arrow can be inserted and carried down the bore, andthe end of the arrow will engage with the elastic band, so that it canbe drawn backward by the fingers and expand or stretch the band andgive: impulse to the arrow when suddenly released by the finger.

The arrow is tipped with a cylindricallyshaped cork having a cup in theend thereof, 6

in which may be placed a fire-cracker, pebble, or other smallprojectile, and when the arrow is fired or projected from the bore itwill be carried a certain distance upward by the resilience of theelastic spring and return or fall 6 the barrel A, provided with acentral orifice, a, and parallel holes 5 c in the same longitudinalplane with orifice a, and longitudinal slots 1. In a toy spring-gun, thecombination of between the holes I) c and the outside of the barrel, theendless elastic band d, normally covering the orificea at one end of thebarrel, and secured at c on the other end of said barrel, and theprojectile-shaft tipped at one end with a hollow cup, substantially asdescribed.

2. In atoy spring-gun, the combination,witl1 the barrel A, provided witha central orifice, a, for receiving the projectile, and parallel holesI) c in the same longitudinal plane with the orifice a, and longitudinalslots between 0 holes I) c and the outside of the barrel, of the endlesselastic band (1, covering the orifice a at one end of the barrel andsecured away from said orifice at the other end, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal.

PETER 1). Homes. [1L5] Witnesses:

O. W. M. SMITH, CHAS. E. KELLY.

